The 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix was the last Formula One race at Sakhir held during daytime, and proceeded amid active political protests following the cancelled 2011 event.
Key Facts
- Race date
- 21 April 2013
- Laps contested
- 57 laps
- Championship round
- 4th round of 2013 season
- Race winner
- Sebastian Vettel
- Pole position
- Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
- Last daytime Bahrain GP
- Night race format adopted from 2014
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Bahrain Grand Prix had been cancelled in 2011 due to civil unrest linked to the Arab Spring. Protests continued in Bahrain in the following years, generating controversy around Formula One's decision to return to the Bahrain International Circuit in 2012 and again in 2013.
On 21 April 2013, the 2013 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix was held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir over 57 laps. Sebastian Vettel won the race, with Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean finishing second and third — the same podium order as the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg started from pole position.
The race concluded without major incident on track, though the political controversy surrounding its hosting persisted. It was the final Bahrain Grand Prix conducted during the day, as organisers switched to a night race format beginning with the 2014 edition, fundamentally changing the character of the event.